Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Gilchrist, Sandra

Area of Concentration

Marine Biology

Abstract

Through this research, the prey capture mechanism of the organism ​Alpheus heterochaelis ​ was observed​. ​ ​Alpheus heterochaelis ​ are a type of pistol shrimp that are more commonly referred to as big claw snapping shrimp. ​Alpheus heterochaelis ​ are often characterized by their large dactyl claws. For this study, the entire feeding sequence of the pistol shrimp with different prey items was recorded using high speed photography. The pistol shrimp responded to three different prey items; amphipods, grass shrimp, and fouling assemblage crabs. The pistol shrimp were also given chunks of frozen herring to document their behaviors towards nonliving prey. However, the pistol shrimp were successful with larger prey types that were similar in size to themselves, and through this process they used their dactyl claw to first stun their prey, and then tear their prey apart into smaller pieces. Recently molted pistol shrimp sometimes shared a burrow with another pistol shrimp. This may have been for mating or protection as pistol shrimp will often molt before mating. However, mating was not observed, nor were mated pairs formed in the tanks.

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